Dear Sammy Matthews,

 

Request for Information RFI-6323-23 Re: Foster care allowances 2023/24

 

Thank you for your request for information relating to Foster care
allowances 2023/24 which was received on 12 April 2023.

 

In accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
the council will respond to your request within 20 working days, saying
whether we have the information that you want, and if there will be any
charges. 

 

If, for any reason, we cannot provide you with the information, we will
tell you why.

If we need to clarify your request, we will contact you again.

 

In the meantime, if you need to contact me about your request, please do
so quoting the above reference number.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Naiyar Sultana

Assistant Assurance Officer

Walsall Council 

0800 0856018

[1]www.walsall.gov.uk 

 

[2]Walsall Council, Proud of our past, our present and for our future 

 

Disclaimer: The information in this message should be regarded as
confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly
stated. If you have received this message in error it must be deleted and
the sender notified. The views expressed in this message are personal and
not necessarily those of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Emails
sent or received from Walsall Council may the subject of a request under
data protection, freedom of information or environmental information
legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. We strongly
advise you not to email any information, which if disclosed to unrelated
third parties would be likely to cause harm or distress. If you have an
enquiry related to your confidentiality or data protection, please visit
the council data protection pages on our website

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.walsall.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Matthews,

 

Request for Information - Our Ref: RFI-6323-23

 

I write to acknowledge and apologise for the delay in responding to your
request relating to Foster care allowances 2023/24. As you know, the
council is required to respond to all requests for information under the
Freedom of Information Act within 20 working days, unless a ‘qualified
exception’ applies that requires the consideration of the Public Interest.

 

Walsall Council takes its obligations under this legislation extremely
seriously and I am sorry that in this case we have not met this timescale.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to assure you of our best
intentions in this regard. I can confirm that a full reply to your request
will be sent to you on or before 16th June 2023. 

 

If you have any queries in regard to this process, please do not hesitate
to contact us.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Kim Pahal

Assurance Officer

Walsall Council 

0800 0856018

[1]www.walsall.gov.uk 

 

[2]Walsall Council, Proud of our past, our present and for our future 

 

Disclaimer: The information in this message should be regarded as
confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly
stated. If you have received this message in error it must be deleted and
the sender notified. The views expressed in this message are personal and
not necessarily those of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Emails
sent or received from Walsall Council may the subject of a request under
data protection, freedom of information or environmental information
legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. We strongly
advise you not to email any information, which if disclosed to unrelated
third parties would be likely to cause harm or distress. If you have an
enquiry related to your confidentiality or data protection, please visit
the council data protection pages on our website

 

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.walsall.gov.uk/

Good Morning,

 

Request for Information RFI-6323-23 Re: Foster care allowances 2023/24

 

Please accept my sincerest apologies for the delay you have
experienced in receiving a response to your Freedom of Information
Request. As you know, the council is required to respond to all requests
for information under the Freedom of Information Act within 20 working
days, unless a ‘qualified exception’ applies.

 

I am however happy to provide the information you requested below. I hope
this information is still of use to you. Please note that the information
given in this response is as at the date of your request.

If you do have any queries or additional questions regarding the
information that has been provided please do not hesitate to contact me
direct on the details at the bottom of this email.

 

Further to your request for information about Foster care allowances
2023/24, I can tell you the following:

 

 a)    For your mainstream foster carer population (general/unconnected
carers) the basic weekly allowances paid for 2023/24 per age bracket for
all age bands. NOT including any fee/reward element for foster carers. 

Unfortunately although we can confirm that the council holds all the
information requested, some elements noted below next to each question are
exempt from disclosure by virtue of section 43(2) (commercial Interest) of
the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

This is because its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the legitimate
commercial interests of Walsall Council. The council believes that the
exemption is engaged because the information if released would prejudice
the market position and allow competitors to take advantage and reduce the
authority’s ability to recruit essential foster carers due to competitors
in the independent sector using the information to improve their offer in
recruitment.

 

This exemption is a qualified exemption which means it is subject to the
Public Interest Test which we have conducted accordingly.

Factors in favour of disclosure:

• The councils commitment to transparency in its spending and use of
public monies
• The potential for independent fostering agencies to improve their
recruitment and attract more foster carers creating better placement
sufficiency in the wider context.

 

Factors in favour of maintaining the exemption:

• The council has an obligation to maximise the use of public funds.
Disclosure could result in the council needing to increase its offer
to match that of independent services
• The council is committed to recruiting as many foster carers as
possible, this, disclosure would have a detrimental affect on the
recruitment of foster carers.

 

As the ability to recruit foster carers and the delivery of an effective
fostering service is key in ensuring that vulnerable young people receive
the support they need, we believe that there is a greater weight in
maintaining the exemption.

 

However we are able to confirm that we pay in line with the Department of
Education recommended rates

 

b)    Please detail any other allowances paid for children living in
mainstream foster care in addition to their weekly allowance, for example
religious festival, holiday, birthday, other. Please detail the amount
paid and the frequency foster carers can receive these.

Please see question 1

c)    Please detail any additional allowances or fees paid to for children
with additional support needs or disabilities.

Please see question 1

 

d)      Your current fee/reward structure for mainstream foster carers (NB
this is different to allowances for the child). Please include:

Please see question 1

 

i) Details of the levels/bands for carers and how much you pay per week at
each level/band.

Please see question 1

 

ii) The number of mainstream foster carers on each level/band, including
those that receive no fee on top of the child’s allowance.

Please see question 1

 

e)      For your kinship foster carer population (connected carers) the
basic weekly allowances paid for 2023/24 per age bracket for all age
bands. NOT including any fee/reward element for foster carers

We pay in line with the Department of Education recommended rates

 

Please see question 1

 

f)        Please detail any other allowances paid for children living in
kinship foster care in addition to their weekly allowance, for example
religious festival, holiday, birthday, other. Please detail the amount
paid and the frequency foster carers can receive these

Please see question 1

 

g)       Your current fee/reward structure for kinship foster carers (NB
this is different to allowances for the child). Please include:

Please see question 1

 

i) Details of the levels/bands for carers and how much you pay per week at
each level/band.

Please see question 1

 

ii) The number of kinship foster carers on each level/band, including
those that receive no fee on top of the child’s allowance.

Please see question 1

 

H)   Your 2023-24 weekly allowances for former foster carers looking after
young people in 18+ Staying Put arrangements, broken down by year 1, year
2, and year 3 if necessary

Staying Put allowance is £232pw up to the age of 21 and this is separated
into allowances and fees.

 

I)     Your 2023-24 weekly fee payments for former foster carers looking
after young people in 18+ Staying Put arrangements, broken down by year 1,
year 2, and year 3 if necessary

Staying Put allowance is £232pw up to the age of 21 and this is separated
into allowances and fees.

 

Most of the information that we provide in response to Freedom of
Information Act 2000 requests will be subject to copyright protection.  In
most cases the copyright will be owned by Walsall Council. The copyright
in respect of other information may be owned by another person or
organisation, as indicated.

 

You are free to use any information supplied to you in response to this
request for your own non-commercial research or private study purposes.
The information may also be used for any other purpose allowed by a
limitation or exception in copyright law, such as news
reporting.  However, any other type of re-use, for example by publishing
the information in analogue or digital form, including on the internet,
will require the permission of the copyright owner.

 

I hope that the information provided is useful to you. However, if you are
dissatisfied, you should set out in writing your grounds for complaint and
send to: Lead Assurance Officer, Business Change, Civic Centre, Darwall
Street, Walsall, WS1 1TP.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a decision.
Please remember that, generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you
have first exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the council. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF.

 

Again I would like to offer my apologies for any inconvenience the delay
to your request may have caused you

 

James Sparrock

Lead Assurance Officer

Walsall Council 

[1]www.walsall.gov.uk 

 

[2]Walsall Council, Proud of our past, our present and for our future 

 

Disclaimer: The information in this message should be regarded as
confidential and is intended for the addressee only unless explicitly
stated. If you have received this message in error it must be deleted and
the sender notified. The views expressed in this message are personal and
not necessarily those of Walsall Council unless explicitly stated. Emails
sent or received from Walsall Council may the subject of a request under
data protection, freedom of information or environmental information
legislation and therefore could be disclosed to third parties. We strongly
advise you not to email any information, which if disclosed to unrelated
third parties would be likely to cause harm or distress. If you have an
enquiry related to your confidentiality or data protection, please visit
the council data protection pages on our website.

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.walsall.gov.uk/